Today’s podcast shines the spotlight on the front of the eye, focusing new treatments and approaches to dry eye disease, blepharitis, and Sjogren's Syndrome, to name a few.Kelly Nichols, OD, PhD, dean of the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry, guides a panel of four clinical and industry experts through a robust conversation on ocular surface disease.They start by sharing their optimism around new treatments and awareness initiatives. Jeffrey Nau, PhD, president of the newly formed Viatris Eye Care Division, said progress is inching along now, but “it’s only a matter of time until we have a massive uplift that will completely change the way we look at ocular surface disease.”In late 2021, the FDA approved Tyrvaya, the first nasal spray for dry eye disease. Researchers continue to evaluate treatments and diagnostics from multiple angles. Physicians continue to tailor their approaches to better educate, diagnose, and treat ocular surface disease patients. What’s next?Listen to the podcast today to hear the panelists discuss these and other topics, including:What excites you about current and emerging eye care innovations?What’s your approach for both new and returning dry eye patients?What’s your typical patient intake workflow?How much time do you spend educating dry eye patients?How important are companion diagnostics in ocular surface disease?[Press Play to Listen]

Myopia has escalated to epidemic proportions with a global prevalence twice that of obesity. A study published in JAMA Ophthalmology in 2021 found the prevalence of myopia in six-year-old children in China jumped from 5.7% between 2015 and 2019 to 21.5% in 2020. Given myopia affects about 40% of Americans and up to 90% of the East and Southeast Asians, it’s time to pick up the pace on education, treatment, and management. At OIS XII in San Diego, a panel of experts discussed how the eye care community can make a difference in myopia within the pediatric population. Moderated by David Kading, OD, of Specialty Eye in Seattle, Washington, the group discussed current FDA-approved and off-label treatments, as well as emerging solutions. They also discussed the importance of raising parent awareness to reduce risk and progression of this disease. Listen to the podcast today to hear the panelists discuss: ·         What’s happening now in the myopia management space.·         Is myopia a disease?·         Exciting myopia developments coming in the next two to three years·         Steps to improve parent and patient education around myopia·         What it will take to significantly accelerate myopia treatment development and commercialization in the next five years·         Promising investment opportunities in myopia over the next five years Speakers:Robert A. Clark, MD—South Bay Family Eye/Associate Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology, Stein Eye InstituteRajeev Garg, PhD—Global Head, Myopia Management Strategy, CooperVisionMatt Oerding—Board Member, GMAC/CEO & Co-Founder, Treehouse EyesDavid Kading, OD, FAAO, FCLSA—CEO, Specialty Eye (moderator) Hit “Play” to Listen.

Robert Avery, MD, CEO of California Retina Consultants, balances roles as physician and researcher with a lucrative additional career: advising life sciences companies and ophthalmology focused venture capital funds. With colleague and podcast host Firas Rahhal, MD, Dr. Avery talks about how he got into the business side of medicine. He also looks back over 30 years of retina, which includes pioneering the use of anti-VEGF agents for retinal disease.Looking forward, Dr. Avery shares his views on what’s on the horizon for drug delivery platforms. And for the drug and device developers in the audience, he discusses how to leverage scientific advisory boards to gain valuable, practical insight.Listen to the podcast today to discover:How Dr. Avery built his clinical research practice in Santa Barbara, California. It’s home to University of California Santa Barbara, a Tier 1 research university, but otherwise not a primary center for clinical trials.Tales from the early days of Avastin, including how Dr. Avery helped get the drug approved for off-label use to treat age-related macular degeneration. That it was approved for off-label use before Lucentis received FDA approval helped it become part of the standard of care.How Dr. Avery balances clinical practice with advisory roles and how these dual careers benefit one another.His prediction on emerging drug delivery platforms.What it takes to advise an investment group on drugs and devices as they relate to clinical practice. In other words, will doctors use this?Hit “Play” to Listen.

CooperVision’s Global Head of Myopia Management Strategy, Rajeev Garg, made a bold move over a decade ago. After a fruitful career in R&D for Abbott and Merck, he got his MBA and transitioned to the commercial side. It worked out well. He led global teams for Johnson & Johnson and Bausch + Lomb before joining one of the industry’s leading contact lens makers. With ophthalmologist and venture capitalist Ehsan Sadri, MD, Rajeev shares CooperVision’s path forward for myopia innovation. CooperVision’s MySight one-day contact lenses are the only FDA-approved contacts designed to slow the progression of myopia in children. CooperVision wants to build on that success by ramping up physician training and education as well as raising consumer awareness on the importance of slowing the progression of myopia. It’s taking the lead through joint ventures, acquisitions, and other partnerships. CooperVision also encourages physicians to take the Myopia Management Pledge. Are you ready to make myopia management part of your practice? Listen to the podcast today to discover: · How Rajeev’s experience in eye care has differed from other therapeutic areas. · Rajeev’s career milestones at Bausch + Lomb, Johnson & Johnson, and CooperVision, and how innovation ties them together. · Rajeev’s thoughts on how to address the myopia epidemic in Asia. · Details on CooperVision’s multimodal treatment strategy. · Where Rajeev sees CooperVision evolving over the next few years. · His advice for emerging leaders on how to move through career obstacles and transitions. Hit “Play” to Listen.

Elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) is the only modifiable risk factor for glaucoma. The more IOP data, the better physicians can evaluate treatment impact, which is critical to preserving vision.Implandata Ophthalmic Products GmbH developed the eyemate® technology platform to fill that need. The implantable sensor, powered and read by a hand-held device, allows physicians to monitor IOP between visits.Implandata CEO and cofounder, Max Ostermeier, discussed the technology and the gap it fills with glaucoma specialist and OIS podcast host Rob Rothman, MD. Better IOP monitoring, they argue, can help change the paradigm of patient care.Listen to the podcast today to discover:How the eyemate system works and how it may help glaucoma patients, including those with low-tension glaucoma.A deeper dive into eyemate study results, which includes 10 years of in vivo data.Implandata’s near-term plans for developing eyemate further, including miniaturizing the sensors and potentially combining it with other therapeutic devices.Implandata’s plans to bring the CE-marked eyemate system to the U.S. market.How Ostermeier made the transition from a finance executive to founding and leading medical device start-ups. Plus, the value of gained from his mentors.More on Ostermeier’s career and how it led to Implandata.

Applications of the metaverse go far beyond gaming and social media. In healthcare and life sciences, innovative physicians and researchers are exploring its potential to accomplish the following: Enhance decentralized clinical trialsDevelop precision medicine therapiesImprove surgical navigation e.g., to perfect a surgical route before treating the patientEnhance surgical education, training, and mentoringAs part of connected care and virtual careTo create medical storefronts Because ophthalmology is considered one of the most innovative fields in medicine, it’s no surprise physicians are discussing ways to use this alternate community to enhance clinical care. In this podcast, three ophthalmology thought leaders explore what’s possible for eye care in the metaverse. They discuss how digital twins can enable precision medicine. They discuss its application for visual field testing and its potential to identify disease earlier to enable proactive care. Listen to the podcast today to discover: What lies ahead for precision medicine?How will digital twin virtual models enable more tailored treatments? What’s possible? What’s already in the works?What is the benefit of the metaverse and digital twins on decentralized clinical trials?How are surgeons using augmented reality and virtual reality, as well as a new device called PillBot?How do we gauge clinical performance and metrics in the metaverse?If we can monitor patients in the metaverse, can we enhance or augment their capabilities in that reality?How will this technology help democratize medical education and medical care?How will the metaverse enable better collaboration and communication among physicians, clinicians, and researchers? Panelists:Michael F. Chiang, MD, Director, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of HealthPam Nesbitt, Global Chief Architect for Healthcare & Life Sciences, MicrosoftKhizer Khaderi, MD, MPH, Founder & Director, The Human Perception Lab at Stanford; Founder & CEO, VizzarioRanya Habash, MD, Co-Founder, MΞTAMΞD; FDA Digital Health Network of Experts; Medical Director, Technology Innovation, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute; Visionary Innovation Mentor, Stanford University

With extensive experience as both a medical and technology professional, Khizer Khaderi, MD, MPH, could be described as either a technology whiz who practices medicine or an ophthalmologist pursuing technology. In reality, he falls into a field all his own, combining what he knows about sports performance, vision, and advanced technology into a career that currently includes teaching, research, and leading an AI start-up (Vizzario).Dr. Khaderi is the clinical associate professor at the Bayers Eye Institute at Stanford University, founder and director of the Stanford Human Perception Laboratory and the Stanford Vision Performance Center, and faculty at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI. In this week’s podcast, he speaks with host Sophia Pathai, MD, PhD about the potential for augmented reality, virtual reality, the metaverse, and Web3 in clinical care.But before all that, he talks about a career that started in his teens—he started medical school at 19 after earning his master’s in public health. During his residency in ophthalmology at the University of Arizona, his research focused on vision performance in athletes.Working with the school’s basketball team, which included soon-to-be-NBA-pro Dell Curry, he focused his research on how athletes perceive and what happens to their retinal ganglion cells as they do. His findings led him to launch a video game start-up centered on sports performance. When that didn’t take off, his path returned to ophthalmology. Listen to the podcast today to hear Drs. Pathai and Khaderi discuss:· How Dr. Khaderi started the Stanford Human Perception Laboratory and what he’s learning about virtual reality and visual perception.· The Vision Performance Index, a tool used to analyze vision-related data.· Exciting biomedical device developments on the horizon for 2023.· How Dr. Khaderi sees technology and medicine evolving – together – over the next few years.· His views on what the intersection of technology and medicine means for today’s residents and medical students.· What lies ahead for Web3 and the metaverse in clinical settings. How will they have an impact?Hit “Play” to Listen

Fuchs Endothelial Corneal Dystrophy (FECD), a progressive hereditary disease that causes blurred or cloudy vision and vision loss, has no cure other than transplant of endothelial layer.David Eveleth, PhD, founder, president, and CEO of Trefoil Therapeutics, wants to change that.The company’s lead product, TTHX1114, has the potential to medically treat FECD and other corneal dystrophies without transplant. If successful, they’ll give patients an alternative to surgery as well as improve access to treatment for people with corneal diseases worldwide.With podcast host Rob Rothman, MD, Dr. Eveleth discusses the science behind TTHX1114, which was designed to treat ulcerative conditions on the front surface of the cornea.Encouraging Phase II results showed TTHX1114 led to a dose-related reduction in corneal edema in Fuchs patients who underwent a Descemet Stripping Only procedure. The drop could potentially help some patients avoid transplant and reduce edema secondary to cataract surgery, Dr. Eveleth said. Listen to the podcast for the full story. You’ll discover:·         How Trefoil came to fruition and why it focuses on Fuchs Endothelial Corneal Dystrophy and other corneal diseases.·         What Dr. Eveleth said during his meeting with Dr. Rothman’s VC firm, InFocus Capital Partners, that convinced them to move forward.·         Details on the Phase II study for TTHX1114, which explored the drug’s use in patients with Fuchs undergoing a Descemet Stripping Only procedure.·         Why Trefoil’s mission is a global health issue.·         More about Dr. Eveleth’s background and why he chose biotech over academia. [Listen Now]

Podcast Description: More than 300 clinical thought leaders, pharma industry executives, and ophthalmology investors gathered recently in San Diego, CA, for OIS XII. In addition to announcing pivotal new data, presenters discussed drug and device innovations, advances in clinical trials, and how to gain or maintain a competitive edge in today’s market.For this week’s OIS Podcast, surgeon Ehsan Sadri, MD, co-founder of Visionary Ventures; and Sharon Bakalash, MD, PhD, founder and CEO of SB Strategic Development Consultants, sat down with an all-star cast of ophthalmology leaders. Here’s a preview of the cast and what they talk about:·         Avellino CEO John Robson, on how he brings decades of experience analyzing data to eye care. He also explains how (and why) Avellino uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to fuel drug discovery—specifically, precision medicine therapies.·         Dompé’s global head of medical and clinical affairs Georgea Pasedis, PharmD, gives an update on Dompé’s neurotrophic keratitis product. She also talks about how the company uses the fourth-fastest supercomputer in the world.·         Tyler Stowater, partner and vice president of Bluestem, a private equity company based in Sioux Falls, SD, shares how the company mitigates losses in a down market, as well as his predictions for the next few months.·         Iveric Bio president Pravin Dugel, MD, talks about Iveric’s Breakthrough Therapy designation for Zimura (avacincaptad pegol), a novel investigational complement C5 inhibitor for the treatment of geographic atrophy.·         Mina Sooch, cofounder and CEO of Ocuphire Pharma, gives the scoop behind Ocuphire’s exclusive license agreement with FamyGen Life Sciences and what it means for the eye care sector at large.·         Ranya Habash, MD, cofounder of MetaMed, takes Dr. Bakalash on a tour of the metaverse.The podcast also includes insights from Tarsier Pharma founder and CEO Daphne Haim-Langford, PhD, and Stuart Therapeutics president and CEO Eric Schlumpf.Click “play” to listen.

Identifying MDs and ODs is but one of many activities involved in developing a commercial launch strategy. To execute that launch according to targets requires strong data, effective messaging, thoughtful strategy, and luck. According to a ZS analysis, out of 30 emerging pharma first launches from 2019 through 2021, only four met expectations.At the OIS XII panel “Maximizing OD/MD Market Potential and How to Achieve Commercial Success With a New Product,”a group of commercialization experts discussed what it takes to get a product to market and meet analysts’ expectations. Robert J. Dempsey, MBA, CEO and president of AsclepiX Therapeutics, moderated the panel. Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, for example, is launching TP-03, which would be the first approved treatment for Demodex blepharitis, a disease of Demodex mites infesting the eyelids. It affects about 25 million people. Tarsus Chief Commercial Officer Aziz Mottiwala said education and thoughtful patient identification are key elements of Tarsus’ strategy.  Education also plays a role when meeting with payers. Oyster Point Pharma president and CEO Jeffrey Nau, PhD, MMS, said ophthalmology companies must present a strong scientific story well before a product goes to market. Tony Tipton, COO of Xequel Bio, agreed, noting companies must also stay strong in their belief in the product and its value. Listen to the podcast today to hear this  expert panel discuss:How they approach conversations among payers, pharmacy benefit managers, and MDs and ODs.How key opinion leader relationships have shifted over the past 10 years.Precommercial strategies for a new company with a new launch.Strategies for navigating the payer space.Obstacles and opportunities in pre-launch. Key performance indicators for measuring the early success of a commercial launch.Also participating on the panel was Carey Powers, global head of corporate marketing, Avellino Lab USA.Click “play” to listen.